Gripping systems and clipping devices have been developed, to secure or grip plastic, cloth or other sheet-type material. Typically these gripping systems have included some form of spring-clip that provides tension and securely grips the subject matter by the spring biasing and forcing the clip to a gripping position. Examples of these types of gripping systems include clothes pins, binder clips or suspenders to secure a wide variety of objects. Depending on the nature of the article being secured, and if the article is being secured to another object, gripping systems have been adapted to address a wide variety of situations. For example, gripping fabric or cloth can require different types of clipping mechanisms depending on purpose as outlined in the patents disclosed below.
U.S. Pat. No. D463,325 issued on Sep. 24, 2002 to Savoia. This patent relates to a suspender type strap that would securely hold a beach towel. The gripping mechanisms are similar to those used in suspenders where the mechanism is a spring-loaded
Andersen et al, is the owner of U.S. Pat. No. 7,243,402 which issued on Jul. 17, 2007. This patent relates to a clip assembly having first and second pivoting gripping members that are locked in gripping engagement to a tarp or other material and attached to a rope or shock cord. The gripping members include jaws and arms that are joined by a pivot connection or hinge pin so that the laws are forced into engagement when the arms are pressed together. At least one of the arms is formed of a resiliently flexible material so that the arm bends a the jaws are forced to gripping engagement. There is a hook or other attachment portion on one of the arms that the arms are locked M the compressed position when a portion of the cord is passed there through. The hook may include a primary opening for receiving a bight of a rope and a secondary opening for receiving a hook on the end of a shock cord.
Andersen et al. is the owner of U.S. Pat. No. 7,308,739 which issued on Dec. 8, 2007. This patent relates to an adjustable clip for gripping a tarp or the like. There are first and second jaw portions having first ends that are joined by a hinge and second ends that are spread apart to feral a receiving area. A finger-operated screw or threaded knob is mounted to the jaw portions at a location between the first and second ends, so that the jaw portions are urged together in response to tightening of the screw or knob. The hinge may be a live hinge for resiliently biasing the jaw portions apart, and the jaw portions and live hinge may be formed as a unitarily molded structure. An attachment portion extends from the binge and has at least one opening far receiving a rope or other cord therein. The grip farce of the assembly can be adjusted by tightening or loosening the threaded knob or screw.
Daniels is the owner of U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,234 which issued on Nov. 21, 2000.This patent relates to a beach chair towel retaining system is disclosed comprising a beach towel for covering a beach chair. An upper stretchable hand resiliently surrounds both the upper portion of the towel and the upper portion of the beach chair and retains the upper portion of the to on the surface of the upper portion of the beach chair. A lower stretchable band resiliently surrounds both the lower portion of the towel and the tower portion of the beach chair and retains the lower portion of the towel on the surface of the lower portion of the beach chair. Each of the upper and lower stretchable bands comprises a bunchable towel material encasing an elastic material. A saddle bag comprising a strip with a pocket, for item storage, at each end rests on top of the intermediate portion of the towel, with one of the pockets hanging on one side of the intermediate portion of the beach chair and the other of the pockets hanging on the other side to retain the intermediate portion of the towel on the intermediate portion of the beach chair. A pillow and a pocket are detachably attached to the outer surface of the upper stretchable band.
Arend is the owner of U.S. Pat. No. 5,867,873 which issued on Feb. 9, 1999. This patent relates to a fabric securing device for securing a fabric article. The fabric securing device comprises a fabric clamp far releasably engaging a fabric article, a flexible band, and clips for releasably connecting the flexible band to the fabric clamp. One or more of the fabric securing devices can be used to secure a fabric article such as a beach towel to a structure such as a beach chair. One or more of the fabric securing devices can be used in combination with anchoring stakes to secure a fabric article such as a beach towel to a surface such as a sandy beach.
The gripping devices disclosed attempt to provide improved gripping of a fabric however those devices often require a spring type pin or hinge to provide the biasing of the jaws of the clip or grip in a closed direction. Furthermore prior art devices often require that the gripping device have a first end that grips the fabric and a second end that grips or engages another object such as a chair or other heavy object to provide tension and secure the fabric.
Thus a gripping device which efficiently grips fabric but does not require a spring or independent biasing member, does not require a supporting structure to provide the tension, provides accurate tension is desirable.